Former police chief who raided Kansas newspaper returns to face criminal charges – The Lawrence Times

A year after former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody resigned, he returns to town for his own criminal case

MARION – Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody returned to town Monday, where he raided a newspaper and faced a dozen journalists facing criminal charges for his actions following the raid.

Cody led police in the August 11, 2023, raid on the Marion County Record, the editor’s home and the home of a city councilwoman, under the false pretense that a newspaper reporter had committed identity theft by searching the driving records of restaurateur Kari Newell. Special prosecutors charged Cody with one count of interference with judicial proceedings, a low-level felony, for asking Newell to delete text messages between the two after the raid. Cody told her he was worried their relationship might be misinterpreted, according to court documents.

A year later, Cody is involved in five federal civil lawsuits in addition to the criminal case.

Monday’s hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes, was Cody’s first public appearance in the city since he resigned as police chief in October 2023 amid intense scrutiny. In a courtroom with an audience of mostly reporters, Cody was grave-faced and silent.

District Judge Ryan Rosauer denied Cody’s motion to dismiss the charges for lack of sufficient cause.

Rosauer, prosecutors and Cody’s defense agreed that Cody will not be required to appear in court at minor hearings and proceedings, including the case’s next scheduled hearing on Dec. 16. Court records show Cody is believed to be living in Hawaii.

Cody and Sal Intagliata, a Wichita attorney who is defending Cody, declined to answer reporters’ questions as they left the courthouse. Intagliata said the “full story” will be revealed when the case goes to trial. Cody didn’t say anything.

As Intagliata led Cody into a car, he told reporters: “If I had any comment at all on behalf of Mr. Cody, it would be this: that the people of Marion County, really the key people involved in this situation, Take a minute to reserve judgment, take a moment not to jump to conclusions, and let the system work.”

Cody does not have to pay cash bail. Instead, Rosaauer ordered a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, which Cody will only have to pay if he fails to appear in court when ordered.

If convicted, Cody would likely face a suspended sentence.

Following the hearing, Eric Meyer, editor and publisher of the Marion County Record, answered questions from a dozen reporters gathered outside the newspaper office across from the courthouse. They asked him to answer Intagliata.

“We can tolerate a delay in justice as long as the delay actually leads to a proper adjudication of things,” Meyer said. “We are in no hurry. He should have enough time to think about what he did.”

Meyer said Cody shouldn’t be the only one accused of a crime. Others, Meyer said, should have intervened — including other police officers, the sheriff, the district attorney and the judge who signed the search warrants.

“The system failed somewhere,” said Meyer. “These are the people who are supposed to protect our rights. They didn’t do it. That’s why I hate it when Gideon Cody is the scapegoat for all this. Yes, he deserves a lot of credit or blame for what was going on here, but there are others who were well aware of it.”

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of newsrooms supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. Kansas Reflector maintains its editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact Editor Sherman Smith: [email protected]. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.

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